St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-08
TEN HOURS.
The Contractors Resolve That q
Bays Work Should be Ten
Hours

Tho Contractors EtcSOiVe That q
Bays Work Should be Fen
Hours.
1t was a crowded room that President
E. e. Scribner stood up in yesterday at
p. m.while he addressed the assembled
contractors ard builders of the city in a
public meeting in the room of the Con-
tractors and Builders Board of Trade at
the Ryan, The contractors had come
in with their coats Off and shirts soiled,
locking as if they had tackled the saw
and hammer themselves during the day.
4 good many were present who were
not members of the board. President
Seribper read set of resolutions which
evidently had been some time in prepar-
alton, for he held typewriter copy. On
Frank lie Barge's motion the resolu-
lions, which are intended to state the
'spoSitiOn of the contractors before the
public, and which declare in favor of
the teIi-hour system and eail upon the
authorities and the public for protec-
ton. while they justify the contractors
for their determined holding out against
the strike, were unanimously adopted
. by rising vote. Here they are:
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Whereas. On May % last many of our con-
IisttitS itttlNSbs 1Ollce,
issued by the secretary of the st. Paul Car
penterS union. reading as follows:
You are hereby notified that on and after
June ! the carpenters in this city will de-
mand nine hour: as days work.
Which notice was, and is still, understood
by them to constitute II demand that the pay
heretofore obtained for ten hours labor
should thenceforward be given for nine
hours work and we insist that no other con-
struction could fairly be placed upon said
notice, although we are Informed that the
Carpenters union at a mass meeting held at
Market hall last Saturday evening wrong
fully claimed. with, as we believe, a view of
gaining the cooperation of non-unioIt men
and The sympathy of the public at large, that
the demand first made was for nine (9)
hours pay fer Hiue hours work, and then
stated that as their first request had
not been complied with it had been
amended to require ten hours pay
for nine hours work. On the receipt of these
notices. frCm the secretary OF an organiza-
ton, of which our contracting carpenters
Ind no knowledge except by hearsay and
being desirous of learning, and, if reasonable,
OF meeting the views of their own employees,
whose wages had already been very generally
advanced this spring 20 cents per day and
upwards. they consulted the latter and find
ing that very large majority of their men
expressed themselves as preferring to con-
tinue work lg ten hours per day. while
very few, IN some cases only three or four
by each firm, stated that being members of
the union they must be bound by its man.
dates-these we therefore Informed that they
were at liberty to go-and their places were
svery quickly filed by new men, ready and
anxious to obtain employment for ten hours
per day. and
! Whereas, Bodies of men, from three to
!. twenty five in number, claiming to act as
committees appointed by and under orders
from tthe Carpenters union, are going about
from one building to another, seeking by de-
rision and threats to intimidate the workmen
thereon and compel them against their own
desires, wishes and financial interests to ioin
in the strike: therefore be it
Resolved, That the strike, inaugurated as
we believe, by Il few malcontents unknown
to the principal contracting carpenters of the
city, and in direct opposition to the wishes
and desires of very large proportion of the
journeymen carpenters of this city, to the
great damage and serious financial loss if
continued, of not the employees and contrac-
tors only, but of the public at large, is with
out reasonable excuse, is entirely uncalled
for, is wrong and pernicious from any and all
estandpoints, and should receive the hearty
condemnation of every right-minded. think
ing business man, and of all citizens having
fhe welfare and prosperity of this great city
at heart. Be it further
: Resolved, That we call upon the city au-
thorities and all good citizens to aid us in
every way possible to maintain good order,
and to secure to every man the right to work
when and where he will, as many hours and
for such wageS-as he may elect, without die
tation or molestation from any man or body
of men whatever; and be it
Resolved, That we, contractors and build
ers of st. Paul, adopt ten hours as the basis
of q days labor; that we request all right
minded mechanics to view this subject in
liberal broad d-guaged manner, and as becomes
good citizens of this rapidly growing metrop-
oils, seek to aid in its development instead of
retarding it; that they resist the fatal sophis-
try of irresponsible ana designing men, and
by faith in the friendship of their employers
avert the disaster to themselves, their fami-
lies and their city, which must result from
selfimposed idleness.
NINE HOURS SATURDAY.
The board also decided that nine
hours should constitute days work on
Saturday, at a full days pay, for all
classes of work. Mr.. Taylor, of Taylor
g Craig, wanted the question to read
''that a weeks time should be SO
hours" A little tilt then occurred be-
tween Mr.. LeBarge and Tim Reardon,
the latter being backed up by Mr.. Tay-
lOr, President Scribner and John Dona-
hue. Mr.. LeBarge wanted the carpen-
ters' union officially notified of the ac-
tion taken. Tim Reardon said the
board didn't recognize any union, es-
pecially after the walking delegates
had gone around and torn men off
buildings. Mr.. LeBarge thought the
union was as much entitled
to recognition as any 9TH
er Organization. Mr.. Taylor
made the point that the constitution of
the board didn't recognize any union,